Any excuse to enjoy Mexican food I am always down for. With an array of vibrant grilled veggies, guacamole, salsa, and beans make for a nutrient dense meal that is always enjoyed by everyone. To end your Cinco de Mayo dinner, you want a really delicious dessert to finish the evening off. As I was scrolling through the many pages of Mexican-inspired desserts I noticed that the food became less fresh and whole, and quickly turned to cakes soaked in heavy cream, fried pastry and desserts, and a ton of refined sugars. Now these yummy treats to enjoy but if you want to finish your meal off with something a little lighter on the waistline and digestive track that does not leave you feeling bloated and yucky after, I created something to do the trick
Instead of a heavy dairy fried ice cream, I have a simple dairy-free Avocado ice cream that is rich and creamy thanks to the coconut milk and lightly sweetened with a little natural sweetener. You don’t need an ice cream maker either, simply blend all the ingredients in a blender, freeze, and then scoop into a bowl. Check out the full avocado ice cream recipe here.
Fried plantains are associated with Mexican desserts, they are also very popular across South America or in the Caribbean where African influence is present. Traditionally, is cooked in a lot of heavy canola or frying oils to get that golden color on the banana. Most recipes I found used 1 quart of oil to 1-2 banana’s, that is a lot of oil.
In my experience, this is not necessary to achieve that sweet golden brown color you want from the banana. I used 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a hot pan and fried 2 large banana’s for a few minutes each side. This is all I needed to achieve to get that fried plantain look, with less oil. I can’t even find the words to describe the flavor of these and how perfect the turned out in minutes. I placed a few of these golden banana slices around the ice cream on the plates.
Now, what’s a dessert without a little chocolate?! I took good quality dark chocolate, over 70% cacao and melted it over low heat in a pot. Because this is a Cinco de Mayo dessert I wanted to add a little heat to this dessert. I took one habanero chili, which is known to be on the hotter side but it has a floral aroma which makes it perfect for a dessert. I grated the pepper and added a little at a time into the chocolate. Everyone’s heat preference is different, so how much you want to add is up to you. My advice always start with very little, taste, and add as your go. You can always add more but you can’t take some out once it has been added.
Drizzle the chocolate sauce all over the ice cream and banana’s and serve immediately. People go banana’s over this dessert (tee hee), and I never mention that it’s “healthy” or “dairy-free” because honestly no one every notices thanks to the richness of the coconut milk, the sweetness of the fried banana’s, and the chocolatey indulgence. It is the perfect dessert to end your fiesta dinner party because everyone is ready to party after instead of needing to take a food nap because their stomach is bloated. Food should fuel us, make us feel energized after consuming it, not make us feel like we need to change into sweat pants and have a nap. Try this whole food, healthy spin on my Mexican-inspired dessert and enjoy desserts without the discomfort and guilt.
Healthy Cinco de Mayo Dessert
Ingredients
Avocado Ice Cream
- 2 avocados
- 1 14 oz. can of full fat coconut milk ideally chilled overnight
- 1/8-1/4 cup maple syrup of honey based on how sweet you want it
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Fried Banana's
- 2 large banana, cut into slices
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
Dark Chocolate Habanero Sauce
- 1 small habanero pepper
- 100g 70% dark chocolate
Instructions
- Blend all ice cream ingredients in a high speed blender, pour into a glass container and let sit in the freezer for 2-4 hours. Remove from the freezer, let sit for 15 minutes then scoop the ice cream into bowls with an ice cream scoop.
- Melt coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the banana slices to the pan (do not overcrowd them). Fry for about 2-3 minutes on each side, then remove to a papertowel to remove excess oil. Place banana slices in the ice cream bowl.
- Melt the chocolate in a pan over low heat, stiring to ensure the chocolate does not burn. Finely grate the peper and add a little at a time, stiring and tasting the chocolate sauce each time after you add a little peper. Once it is how you like it, drizzle some over the dessert and serve immediately
